Summit? What summit? Top names absent

What if you held an economic summit and nobody came?

Half of Hamilton's councillors do not plan to attend the city's second annual economic summit Wednesday. No area MPs are registered. Local MPPs don't fare much better, with only Liberal MPP Sophia Aggelonitis signing up.

Half of Hamilton's councillors won't be attending this week's second economic summit.

Some blame scheduling conflicts, but Councillor Sam Merulla says he won't attend for-profit events organized by lobby groups.

The economic summit is organized by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Jobs Prosperity Collaborative, but is sponsored by the city, the province, McMaster University, Mohawk College and myriad businesses. Sponsorships total about $120,000. It begins Wednesday.